Former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong Makes First Appearance Before Special Prosecutor in 'Cover-Up' Allegations... "There Was No Illegal Conduct"

[Financial News] Former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong, who is under suspicion over changes to the route of the Yangpyeong Expressway and allegations that the project was scrapped, appeared before the Special Prosecutor's Task Force for the first time on the 23rd. Won denied all charges, saying, "There was no illegal conduct."
Won arrived at the special prosecutor's office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, at around 9:46 a.m. that day.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "After investigating allegations of preferential treatment for the expressway for more than a year, it seems the special prosecutor now wants to shift the target of the investigation to my 'declaration to scrap the project' because it cannot get anywhere else." He added, "If the intent is simply to try to tie me to something, then draw whatever picture you want."
He then argued, "Because there was no illegal conduct, things will not go as the special prosecutor intends."
However, he did not answer questions about whether he knew at the time of the route change that land owned by the Kim Keon-hee family was involved, when he decided to scrap the project, or whether he had been instructed to do so. He then headed into the interrogation room.
The allegations over the route change to the Yangpyeong Expressway center on claims that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport gave preferential treatment by changing the endpoint of the Seoul–Yangpyeong Expressway project in 2023 from Yangseo-myeon to Gangsang-myeon, where land owned by the Kim family is located.
The original endpoint plan in Yangseo-myeon passed a preliminary feasibility study in 2021, but favoritism allegations surfaced after a new endpoint plan in Gangsang-myeon was proposed in May 2023. Won later announced in July that year that the project would be scrapped.
The special prosecutor is now focusing less on the route change itself and more on the process and legality of Won's announcement to scrap the project. A key issue is whether the decision to halt the project entirely followed proper procedures in light of internal reviews and policy direction at the time.
After taking over the case, the special prosecutor imposed a travel ban on Won and carried out raids in April on the National Information Resources Service, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and former Vice Minister Baek Won-guk. On the 15th, investigators also seized Won's mobile phone as they continued to gather evidence related to the case.
 
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter